Die set aligning and guide means



April 10, 1962 W. J. HUGHES DIE SET ALIGNING AND GUIDE MEANS Filed July 26, 1961 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent Oiihce Bilh Patented Apr. 10, 1962 3,029,110 DIE SET ALIGNNG AND GUIDE MEANS William J. Hughes, S37 7 E. Outer Drive, Detroit 13, Mich. Filed July 26, 1961, Ser. No. 126,928 2 Claims. (Ci. 30S- 6) This invention relates generally to improvements in die sets, and more particularly to a novel and improved die set aligning and guide means, for use on punch presses or the like.

It is conventional practice to provide a means for supporting a set of dies for stamping out articles, and such supporting means is called a die set. The various parts of the die are secured to the die set. In order to maintain proper alignment ofthe die parts with each other, the `die part must be guided by suitable means on the die sets, and such alignment function is normally provided by means of posts that extend from one part of the die set toward the other part which normally carries a bearing member for reception of the aligning posts. It is important to maintain the die alignment within certain tolerances, and the accuracy of the die alignment depends on the tolerances between the die posts and bearings. The t between the die posts and bearings must be kept as close as possible within predetermined tolerances. In many instances, as for example when taking the die set apart for cleaning or replacement purposes, it is diiiicult to quickly and accurately reposition the die set guide post into the guide bearings, and in many instances the guide posts will Vnot glo into the guide bearings properlyV because of some slight misalignrnent between the die" set plates. Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved die set aligning and guide means whereby the guide posts on one plate of a die set may be quickly and positively inserted into the guide bearing means on the other die set plate.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved die set aligning and guide means which comprises a guide bearing means mounted in a sleeve on an upper die set plate, a guide post means mounted on the lower die set plate, and wherein the guide bearing means includes a retainer having a plurality `of guide means in the form of balls mounted in a retainer, and wherein the aforementioned sleeve is provided with a recess or relieved area on the lower end thereof to permit the lower bearing balls in the retainer to be moved outwardly to permit quick and ready insertion of the guide posts into the bearing means.

1t is another object of the present invention to provide a die set aligning and guide means comprising the guide post or pin and bearing bushing combination wherein the guide post or pin is adapted to be mounted on the lower part of the die set, and the bearing bushing is adapted to be mounted on the upper part of the die set.

lt is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved die set aligning and guide means which is economical of manufacture, simple and compact in construction, and eflicient in use and operation.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed descrip- -tion and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts of the several views.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and vertical section of an anti-friction guide assembly for machine press die sets, and illustrating the aligning and guide means of the present invention; and,

FIG. 2 is a view made in the same manner as FIG. 1 but showing the die set plates moved together to show the anti-friction guide assembly means in -a fully as sembled condition.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like parts have been designated by like reference numerals, a die set is illustrated which embodies the present invention, Yand which comprises the upper and lower plates 1G and 11, respectively. The plates 1l) and 11 may be adapted f'tlir attachment to the slide and bed of a press or the The upper plate 10 is provided with a pair of antifriction guide sleeves or tubular members 12 which may be cylindrical in form, and each of which is provided with a drive tit seating in the bore 13 in the plate 1li. rl`he inner surfaces of the sleeves 12 are provided with smooth cylindrical bores which may be hardened and ground to provide a bearing surface for the anti-friction bearing means generally indicated by the numeral 14.

The anti-friction bearing means 14 comprises the tubular retainer cage 15 which is formed as a sleeve with a circular cross section, and which is provided with a plurality of ball bearings 16 disposed in suitable spaced openings in the wall of the retainer. As shown in FIG. l, the balls 16 are disposed in rows about the circumference of the retainer 15 and are disposed at an angle to the horizontal so that each ball contacts the inner surface of the sleeve 12 and the guide pin, as more fully described hereinafter, in different places on their respective circumferences.

A suitable ball bearing means of this type is shown in United States Patent 2,422,744 which was issued to Guy 0. Conner, on J une 24, 1947.

As shown in FIG. 1, the anti-friction bearing means is adapted to slide upwardly and downwardly within the sleeve 12, and is retained therein by means of the G- shaped retainer clips 17 and 19 which are adapted to be releasably mounted in the peripheral grooves 1S and Siti, respectively, which are formed at the upper and lower ends of the sleeve 12. The lower end of the bore in the sleeve 12 is relieved or recessed as indicated by the numeral 21 to provide quick and easy access of the guide pin 22 which is carried on the lower or base die plate 11. The guide pins or post 22 have the lower ends thereof mounted in suitable bores in the plate 11 by means of a drive tit.

In the use of the present invention, when the die set plate 1t) is lowered toward the lower die set plate 11, the lower row of ball bearings 16 will be forced outwardly into the relieved area or recess 21 so as: to permit the upper end of the pin 22 to pass into the anti-friction vbearing means without making positive contact with the ball bearing 16. This action eliminates the possibility of the retainer 15 riding upwardly without making positive Contact between the guide post, the ball bearing 16 and the inner bore of the sleeve 12. Experience has shown that a die set aligning and guide means, when made in accordance with the present invention, permits the user to quickly and easily mount the die set plates together without having the guide post 22 become misaligned with the anti-friction bearing means 14 so as to cause a jamming between the same.

FiG. 1 shows the guide post or pins 22 at the initial point where it starts into the anti-friction bearing means 14. The lower row of the ball bearings 16 are moved outwardly into the relieved area 21 to permit the upper end of the guide post 22 to enter the bearing means 14 without being hung-up. Continued movement of the plates 10 and 11 toward each other permits the guide post 22 to continue its complete entrance into the bearing means 14 between the ball bearings 16 and into the working position shown in FIG. 2 wherein complete and operative contact is made between the guide post 22, the ball bearin'fs 16 and the inner bores of the sleeve 12. The novel `and improved die set aligning and guide means of the present invention provides a structure wherein .the anti-friction bearing lmeans 14 is always within the guide sleeve 12 and is never exposed to dirt, metal chips, and' so forth. The `anti-friction bearing means 14 is easily removable for any reason, as for example for cleaning or replacing of the bearing means 14 and for other reasons, as for example in a disintegrating machine wherein contact between the guide posts 22 and the bearing means 14 is not wanted after the die set has been aligned. The quick, easy and positive alignment of the die set parts as provided by the aligning and guide means of the present invention with its counterbored relief 21 is especially important when building up a die or maintaining it on a work bench out of a machine. In the latter situations there is no other means of alignment, and the die set is put together and taken apart by lifting off the upper plate or putting it `on by hand, with the use of chainfalls or by a crane, and without the aligning means of the present invention it is diflicult to align the die set parts. In the die set aligning and guide means of the present invention there are no slots on either .the guide post 22 or in rthe guide sleeve 12 as in some prior art similar devices, whereby there is always complete contact or full contact between 'ball bearings 16, the guide sleeve 12 and the guide post 22. The anti-'friction means 15 is free .to rotate in the guide sleeve 12 whereby relative contact is provided between these two parts thus minimizing wear on a minimum of areas on these two parts. Y

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fuliill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a die set comprising an. upper plate and a lower plate adapted for relative movement toward and away from each other and for supporting die parts, means for maintaining alignment of the plates with each other comprising: a plurality of guide posts mounted so as t0 extend from the upper side of the lower plate and eX- tend into a plurality of anti-friction means mounted s0 as to extend from the lower side of the upper plate; each of said anti-friction means including a guide sleeve mounted in the upper plate `and having a bore for the reception of a guide post, a ball bearing retainer cage carrying a plurality of ball 'bearings movably disposed in the guide sleeve bore between the guide post therein and the sleeve and having the ball bearings in rolling engagement with the sleeve and the post, means for retaining the entire 4ball bearing retainer cage within said guide sleeve, and, the lower end ofthe guide sleeve bore being enlarged Ato permit sideward outward movement of the ball bearings in the lower end of the ball bearingretainer cage when the guide post is inserted into the ball bearing retainer cage.

2. The structure as dened in claim 1, wherein: said means for retaining the entire ball bearing retainer cage within the guide sleeve comprises, a peripheral groove formed in ti e guide sleeve bore adjacent the upper end of the guide sleeve, a peripheral groove formed in the guide sleeve bore adjacent the lower end of the enlarged lower end of the guide sleeve bore, and a retainer clip releasably mounted in each of said peripheral grooves.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,987,348 Blazek .lune 6, 1961 

